Act amended, NIA to probe Lanka blasts

#NEW DELHI The Easter Sunday bombings case in Sri Lanka on April 21 is likely to be the first case for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe after Parliament amended an Act empowering it to investigate terror cases abroad, officials said on Sunday.

With Parliament giving its nod to the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill on July 17 and the Law Ministry issuing a notification in this effect on July 25, the first case to be investigated abroad will be Sri Lanka blasts, a Home Ministry official privy to the development said.

An NIA team had visited Sri Lanka in May and held discussions there about claims that terrorists, owning allegiance to ISIS, had travelled to India, including Kashmir. So far the NIA has not been able to register any case due to lack of its jurisdiction. But with the amended law, the agency can probe the case, the official said.

The amended Act gives powers to NIA to probe terror attacks targeting Indians, Indian interests abroad and having links with India. NIA can also investigate offenses related to human trafficking, counterfeit currency, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, cyber-terrorism, etc.